Crew Not Intimidated By SKC

By: Adam Jardy

The Columbus Dispatch - July 28, 2012 09:23 AM

When the Crew hosted Sporting Kansas City two weeks ago, it earned more than a simple 2-0 defeat
that left fans calling for the coach’s job. Within the locker room of Crew Stadium, the loss
actually provided a level of confidence for the home side.

With a rematch on tap tonight – albeit at hostile Livestrong Sporting Park – the Crew is drawing
strength from its performance against the second-best team in the Eastern Conference.

“I honestly don’t feel like we’re intimidated by anybody in the league,” defender Josh Williams
said. “We went to Seattle and beat them and we’ve been to tough places and played well. No matter
where we go, we’re going to bring 100 percent. As far as intimidation, no, we’re not intimidated by
anyone.”

The statistics from the match bear out the Crew’s thinking. The Crew had twice as many attempts
on goal as Kansas City, completed 75 percent of its passes compared to 62 for the visitors and
maintained possession for 62.2 percent of the match.

But then, there were the two crippling mistakes that led directly to both goals. And the
half-dozen offensive chances that either rang off the crossbar or fell by the wayside.

“We weren’t necessarily unhappy with how we played, but we weren’t happy either,” goalkeeper
Andy Gruenebaum said. “We didn’t finish our chances. That’s something that we have to do.”

Head coach Robert Warzycha said the fact that the Crew was creating offensive opportunities
against a Kansas City defense that has allowed a league-low 19 goals in 21 matches is a
positive.

“We generated enough chances to win the game, but we need to finish them,” he said. “To create
those chances against a team as good as Kansas City with a lineup that’s been the same for the last
two years, not too many teams create that many clear chances. But we have to finish them.”

Since the loss, the Crew posted a 1-0 win against D.C. United and beat English Premier League
club Stoke City in a mid-week friendly, helping to foster a more upbeat, looser environment within
the club. Kansas City sits one point out of first place despite having gone scoreless in its last
three home matches.

At sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the Crew is six points behind Chicago for the final
playoff spot.

“It has nothing to do with who is where in the standings,” Gruenebaum said. “Any given week you
have to bring your best game or else you’ll lose. I thought we were a lot more creative. Over the
last couple games I think we’ve been improving our chances. If you can do that, especially on the
road, then it changes the game completely.”

The first match against Kansas City saw Warzycha make his most drastic changes to the lineup to
that point in the season. In an effort to combat Kansas City’s speedy attack, Williams made his
first career start at right back while converted midfielder Bernardo Anor started and played the
full game at left back despite suffering a torn anterior cruicate ligament midway through the
match. Both committed a mistake that led directly to a Kansas City goal.

Lineup changes could again be in the works after Warzycha deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation against
D.C. last weekend with Jairo Arrieta as the lone forward. The Crew’s reserve squad went with a
4-3-3 attack last Sunday.

Regardless of what lineup takes the pitch tonight, Warzycha said he senses confidence from his
side.

“There’s no question (we’re confident),” he said. “We just have to finish our chances. Sometimes
you have one chance and you win the game 1-0. If we want to be a good team, that’s what we have to
do.”